Usually when we think of a leader, we think of a charismatic leader. The Christ Child, instead, was prophesied to be meek. This daily devotional looks at why the Christ Child did not fit Jewish expectations and how we are to imitate Him.
Nuggets
- Isaiah said the attributes of beauty and majesty were not associated with the Christ Child.
- We have no physical description of Jesus.
- Jesus did not come rolling in as some big, bombastic personality but as a servant.
- God does things His own way.
- It isn’t about what we look like or what we do or don’t do.
Devotions in the Prophecy of the Christ Child series
We’ve talked before about how the Jews were looking for a military Messiah. Pastor John said Sunday that they were probably looking for a knight in shining armor to come riding in and save the day.
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When we think about their expectations, we generally stop there. But I bet there was more to it.
Wouldn’t they have also been looking for some charismatic, larger-than-life leader?
That isn’t exactly the words Isaiah used to describe the Christ Child. Let’s take a look.
Let's Put It into Context
The Holman Bible Dictionary defines prophecy as “reception and declaration of a word from the Lord through a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument thereof.”
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Prophecy is a divine revelation to mankind through the Holy Spirit of a future event. This was God telling us that we would be delivered.
Let's Put It into Context #2
Meekness is a personality trait exhibiting a mild or moderate disposition that places dependence on God.
Most of the newer versions translate the word that used to be meek as humble. That term is more recognizable to most.
Meekness does have components of other familiar words. They are gentleness, patience, perseverance, longsuffering, endurance, faith, holiness, and love.
Peace is also a component of meekness. We cannot be meek unless we are forgiving and have patience.
But that does not mean that we are to be doormats. The meekness must be accompanied by boldness. The definition of meekness talks of controlled power. This touches on self-control.
To read a related devotion, click the appropriate button below.
Jesus wasn’t a doormat, and we are to imitate Him. Hambleton wrote, “He is a Lamb in meekness; He is the Lion of the tribe of Judah in strength. His work required a very undaunted spirit, and He never quaked with fear, nor trembled with alarm.”
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Why are disciples called to be humble and meek? This is how we submit to God. It is also how we imitate Him.
Glossary
How Did Prophecy Foretell a Meek Savior?
“He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him” (Isa. 53: 2 NIV)
Say what?!? Nothing He could use as a calling card to hook people in?
Oh, no. When we are looking for a leader, they have to at least look presentable. They have to have an appearance with which we are comfortable.
Majesty? We generally think they should have an air of confidence about them. They shouldn’t waffle.
Not the Christ Child. Isaiah said the attributes of beauty and majesty were not associated with the Christ Child.
How Did Jesus Fulfill the Prophecy?
I would argue that this prophecy was fulfilled because we have no evidence to the contrary.
We have no physical description of Jesus. There is nothing to back up His fulfilling this prophecy – but there is nothing to refute it either.
You would think that if Jesus were the most beautiful person to ever walk the face of the earth, we would still be hearing about it. We aren’t.
It sounds like Jesus was considered an ordinary person. It wasn’t His looks, smarts, or bank account that made Him the Christ Child.
I would argue that it was Jesus’ temperament that did.
Jesus, the Meek Messiah
“For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves” (Lk. 22: 27 ESV)
Jesus did not come rolling in as some big, bombastic personality. He came in as a servant.
I hope I can say this right. It wasn’t about Jesus the Man. It was about the message.
The message was mankind has messed up and become separated from God. God didn’t want that condition to continue.
It was about Jesus the Message. The message was that God loved us so much, He sent Jesus to pay the penalty for our sins.
The message is all about God’s grace and love.
Let’s go about it a different way.
God’s Standard Operating Procedure
“Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible’ (Mt. 19: 26 CSB)
We have it set in our minds how we think God is going to operate. We think He can’t do the impossible and won’t do the unlikely.
Ooo, baby. Are we wrong!
God gave a virgin a Baby Son. He had 12 men who were uneducated and uninfluential build His church. He has me writing daily devotionals so others can read them.
God doesn’t follow standard means. He does things His own way.
Why wouldn’t God use the most confident, the best looking, the totally “with it” person to spearhead His ministries?
The ministry isn’t about the minister. It is about God.
When we are confident, beautiful, and “with it,” we tend to forget about God. We may even think we are working under our own steam.
Jesus knew He wasn’t on earth fulfilling His own plan. He was here accomplishing the Plan of Salvation.
If you have not admitted that your relationship is not right with God,
have not asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior,
and have not confessed your sins,
please read through the Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
But wasn’t that part of the point, too? We don’t have to look a certain way to be a child of God. We don’t have to have a specific IQ. We don’t even have to clean up our acts before we come to God for salvation.
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Bogg put it this way. He wrote, “By His appearing in the humble, suffering state He teaches us how very insignificant in the sight of God, and in the eyes of true wisdom, are all the possessions of this world and all the flattering distinctions of a present state.”
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It’s All about Character
“But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart’” (I Sam. 16: 7 ESV)
It isn’t about what we look like or what we do or don’t do. We’ve known this ever since David was anointed king. God told Samuel the outside appearance doesn’t matter.
It is about our relationship with Sovereign God. Are we submitting to Him? Are we obedient to Him?
It is about whether we are changing our character to be like His.
Jesus submitted and was obedient — straight down the line. He did not sin at all.
Parker put it this way. He wrote, “It was not a beauty of form, it was the beauty of expression. It was not the beauty of statuary, it was the beauty of life.”
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Bersier made a very interesting statement. He wrote, “His [Jesus’] extraordinary sobriety of thought and of language is the best proof that His was not the supreme effort of the human soul aspiring towards the infinite. It is the revelation of God who tells man just as much as it is necessary for him to know and no more.”
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We don’t want to read that as we only have to do enough to get our feet into Heaven. Elaine-speak says God wants us to tell others about His plans in simple, heartfelt words. God wants everyone to understand His message.
Making the Connections
God is going to use His disciples to expand His kingdom. He will use us regardless of what we look like, regardless of where we came from, regardless of the unlimited number of qualifications we can slap on it.
God looks at our heart. He sees what we are really like inside. He sees our character.
The gospel isn’t rocket science. We don’t have to have an IQ score of 200 to be able to figure it out.
God doesn’t want us to figure it out. He wants us to believe in Him.
How Do We Apply This?
We are called to imitate Jesus. He was meek. That means we must be meek.
Remember, we said meekness is made of gentleness, patience, perseverance, longsuffering, endurance, faith, holiness, and love. That seems like a good place to start.
God is more concerned with our character than our appearances. He wants us to be following Him.
Father God. We want to have Jesus’ meek character. We want to be gentle and patient. We want to persevere through all we are called to endure in this life. Through it all, we want You to find us faithful and holy. Amen.
The ABCDs of Salvation
If you have not become a believer in Christ, please read through the
Plan of Salvation and prayerfully consider what God is asking you to do.
A – admit our sins
B – believe His Son Jesus is our Redeemer
C – confess God as Sovereign Lord
D – demonstrate that commitment by making any changes needed in our lives to
live the way in which God has called us
The Disciple’s Job Description
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Related Links
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
Don’t know what your spiritual gifts are?
Take this Spiritual Gifts Inventory
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
The Disciple’s Job Description
Complete Job Description
Individual Description
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #1
Be a Living Sacrifice (Romans 12: 1-2)
Job Duty #2
Work Out Our Salvation (Philippians 2: 12)
Job Duty #3
Bring Him Glory (Matthew 5: 16)
Job Duty #4
Proclaim the Gospel (Mark 16: 15)
Job Duty #5
Love People (John 15: 12)
Job Duty #6
Make Disciples (Matthew 28: 19-20)
Job Duty #7
Other Duties as Assigned
(Ecclesiastes 3: 1)
It Was Enough
Vocalist: Elaine Guthals
Keyboard: Chris Vieth
What do you think?
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